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	<h2>About Desert Point Lodges</h2>
	<i>Meeting place for the aware traveller</i>	
	
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		<p>I, my Dutch friend Eddy and Indonesian friend Lily started a unique project 6 years ago.</p>

		<p>After receiving an inheritance due to my father's unfortunate passing I decided I wanted to do something different.
		Something lasting, creative and for a community.</p>

		<p>I travelled to Indonesia and met a resort manager called Lily. We got on very well and seemed to share the same ideas and principles in life.
		When I explained my vision of starting a holiday resort which would also function as a base from which development projects in the community are done, she nearly feel off her chair.
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		<p>This was exactly the dream she had had for years.
		We decided to start the project together.
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		<p>On my first return to Lombok, Indonesia, we drove to the middle of nowhere to find a paradise.
		We went to a peninsula of Lombok called Bangko Bangko, which receives the world famous wave 'Desert Point' – often compared to the Pipeline wave in Hawaii.</p>

		<p>Since there were no resorts for surfers there, we would be the first one. We found a nice piece of land with a private beach in a beautiful bay. Perfect for divers and snorkellers.
		This was going to be the place.
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		<p>When people in Holland heard about our project, magazines approached me and I got some good press attention from 'Elle magazine' and 'Reload magazine'.
		Soon after, I started to receive emails from people who wanted to help. One of these people was Eddy Plasier, a young entrepreneur and software developer. He had a remarkable enthusiasm for the idea of a charity holiday resort.
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		<p>After the Bali-bombing, prices of materials and fuel went up considerably which complicated the development of the resort financially. When Eddy heard about this, he offered to become a partner.
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		<p>It took a good few years to get all the building permits before we could start building. On top of that, the land and beach we had bought were like a bush jungle. As soon as we had green light, the land was prepared and a beautiful style of Lombokian bungalows was built. A restaurant where Lily's mum Ibu cooks delicious Indonesian food and the beach was prepared. In the last 2 years, Lily's brother Wawan who is a talented artist has created a heavenly garden that surrounds the bungalows and counts many tropical flowers.
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		<p>The resort attracts people that we would like to call 'aware travellers'. People who like to interact with the culture and locals and are not just tourists who take.
		During specific months in the year, the Desert Point wave is at its most powerful which attracts advanced surfers from all nations.
		For this year we are going to organise yoga and meditation retreats.
		Many other travellers are attracted to the peace and quiet and beauty of the area and spend their time swimming, snorkelling, fishing and just relaxing in general. The resort's boat is always available for the guests and there are numerous small desolate islands to make day trips to.
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		<p>The income we make at the moment is put back into the resort straight away as we are still in the business establishing years. However, as soon as we are running at a steady pace, the money coming in will be invested in community projects.
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		<p>This is hands-on development work in the pipeline:
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		<p><strong>A medical first aid station on the premises.</strong><br/>
		There are no medical facilities in the region. Our intention is to train a small group of people to be able to carry out first aid work. This is crucial as this can help a lot while a doctor can travel up to the area or while we can transport the patient to a doctor/hospital.
		Apart from that we require basic medicines and first aid equipment.</p>

<p><strong>		Malaria research project.</strong><br/>
		Currently there are a lot of breakthroughs in the development of new malaria medicines and even the possible extinction of the infection illness. This will not happen on the short term, but progress is made. We would like to invite students to do a traineeship in researching the problem of malaria in the region. To find out about the different strains, the statistics and what the local people could do to prevent catching malaria.
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		<p><strong>Coral project.</strong><br/>
		Any diver or snorkeller will agree that the under water world near the resort is amongst one of the most stunning on the planet.
		We would like to invite Marine Biologists or students to do research on the state of the coral and to educate the locals on better and longer lasting ways of dealing with the environment.
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<p><strong>		Tree logging project.</strong><br/>
		This is one project that is very close to my heart. Over the last decade human beings have managed to cut large areas of ancient forests that have been around for tens of thousands of years (Borneo is a good example where this is happening on an extreme scale). It is a lucrative method for locals to make money. There are hardly any trees left, which has resulted in severe flooding that occur very regularly. Locals have now resorted to digging into the bare hills to use the stone and soil.<br/>
		We would like to invite students or other volunteers to train locals on other ways of using resources that are longer-lasting.
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<p><strong>		School Education projects.</strong><br/>
		Children have to walk miles to go to school and they often lack shoes and even basic clothes. First of all we would like to organise for shoes and clothes to be sent to the area on a monthly basis.
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		Secondly, school fees are too high to be afforded by many and we would therefore like to invite voluntary teachers or students to teach English or other useful subjects.
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<p>		Charity money will be used to buy pencils and books for the children.
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<p><strong>		Orphanage Peduli Anak</strong><br/>
		A Dutch guy has started an orphanage a few years ago. The way he has set it up has blown me away. Check out <a href="www.pedulianak.com">www.pedulianak.com.</a>
		It is so beautiful and well organised. We would like to use our charity money to invite these children on little holidays to the resort where they can swim, snorkel, go fishing and have loads of fun.
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		<p><strong>Marketing to attract more guests</strong><br/>
		Now here we are with this little pearl of a resort. Now we need to let the world know so we can make more guests happy on a relaxing holiday and make more money to invest in constructive and helpful projects. We would therefore like to invite Marketing students to come to the resort to write and carry out a good marketing plan.
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	<p>	<strong>Other projects</strong>
		Over time other projects will be developed, all depending on what is needed in the area and when.	
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	<p>All the best,</p>	
  <p><strong>Christianne van Wijk</strong>	
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